Our studies of mental disorders and illness will continue with this module which focuses on mood disorders, personality disorders and schizophrenia. To start we will view another Discovering Psychology video. Go to #21. Psychopathology. Answer the questions for this video. These are to be handed in as part of your participation mark.
Questions:
Lesson 3 Mood Disorders
Be sure to have read pp. 532-535, 547-549
According to the text, "a mode disorder is a prolonged and disturbed state that affects almost all of a person's thoughts and feelings" (Plotnick, p. 532). There are three discussed in the text; major depression, bipolar disorder and disthymic disorder. One other mood disorder that should be added in SAD, or seasonal affective disorder. This one typically occurs during the winter months. **Am I Depressed?**
Read, "Depression: A Letter from 'George'". As you do, consider what insight you are gaining by reading what a person that is experiencing real depression feels.
Causes of Depression and Bipolar Disorder
Please go to The World of Abnormal Psychology Scoll down the episode selection choices till you arrive at #8, "Mood Disorders". Advance the film to 27:11 - 36:30 "Causes of Depression". Be prepared to answer the following:
What are the causal factors of depression?
Explain the differences between the rates of depression amongst women compared to men.
How do women address depression? How do men?
Lesson 4A Activity Personality Disorders
Read pp. 536-537.
I suppose this is where it gets interesting; most of the cases portrayed in Hollywood films come from this sort of condition.
"Scenario: Role Play"
You will have to understand the following personality disorders for this activity:
Paranoid
Obsessive compulsive
Schizotypical
Dependent
Histrionic
Antisocial
In preparation, imagine how individuals with these sorts of conditions might respond to the following situations:
breaking up with a boy/girl friend
going out on a date
finding a job that they like
deciding which college courses to take
making a new friend
This activity will be done in class. See the list of participants for your class on the left margin.
Lesson 4B Activity
"Personality Disorders: Their Possible Jobs and Partners"
This exercise will be done in your collective intelligence group in class. As above in preparation consider what sorts of jobs and partners individuals with the above conditions would be best suited to have. Remember, these are people who can cope with their conditions given certain circumstances. Recall also that one of the issues with DSM IV is the notion of labels. The moment we label someone we have in essence slotted them into a rigid framework of expected behaviors and abilities. This is, in many cases, unfair because we are all unique in our own ways. Labeling denies the person an individual identity they deserve.
This will be done in class as a group.
Lesson 5 Psychopathology
Whenever we think of psychopathology we frequently think of the Hollywood version of a psychopath. That is, we see them as a serial killer, when really they are more likely to be part of our daily lives than we really know; somewhere around one percent of a population could be classified as psychopathic or sociopathic. That means there are as many of them in a population as there are schizophrenics. Since it is likely that you will meet a schizophrenic in your life, it is equally likely that you will meet psychopath.
Before class watch the film mentioned below. Be forewarned, there is some strong language used.
The film link below will provide you with insight into the life of a psychopath. I, Psychopath
SERIAL KILLER TRADING CARDS Read p. 552
Part I) For this assignment you are to find out about the life, victims and method of operation of a serial killer. You choose one. Be brief to succinct in your descriptions of:
Biography - basic information, but do focus on socio-economic background, family, experiences.
Victim profiles. Be general. That is, most serial killers have a profile that they prefer for obvious and not so obvious reasons.
Method of operation - information on stocking of victims, how murder may have been carried out, weapons, etc. Be selective in how much detail you provide here.
Part II) Compare your serial killer with two other serial killers. Using a comparison chart that you make show what their common characteristics were. You should also show what their differences were.
Part I is due: TBA Part II is due: TBA.
Below is a video link to Born to Kill? Jeffrey Dahmer
TED TALKS Jim Fallon: Exploring the Mind of a Serial Killer
Lesson 6 Schizophrenia
Be sure to read pp. 538-542
To get an idea of what a schizophrenic experiences in terms of hallucinations (visual and auditory) watch the video posted here from NBC's 20/20
Class discussion: Promoting Greater Acceptance of Abnormal Behavior
You and other members of your group have been assigned the task of improving the work climate of a fast-food restaurant so that co-workers and customers will be more accepting of a newly discharged schizophrenic patient. Brainstorm what skills the former patient needs, what information the co-workers need, and how the work rules can be designed so that former patients can experience success. Each group will report the results of their brainstorming to the entire class. After you list the ideas, you will discuss why business people may not be involved in the rehabilitation of mental patients. //**How Mad Are You?**//
The above documentary shows how three very well experienced and trained professionals in the field of psychiatry will have great difficulty figuring out which five people amongst a group of ten has a mental disorder. Those disorders are:
aneating disorder.
OCD
bi-polar disorder
depression
social anxiety disorder
I believe what you should come away with from this experience is that labels are not always easy to attach to people, and for many more important reasons, they ought not be attached too readily. I am confident that you will appreciate - and even enjoy - this film.
Our studies of mental disorders and illness will continue with this module which focuses on mood disorders, personality disorders and schizophrenia. To start we will view another Discovering Psychology video. Go to #21. Psychopathology. Answer the questions for this video. These are to be handed in as part of your participation mark.
Questions:
Lesson 2
Review Game: Pictionary Phobias (Review of material from Module 23
To be done in class.
Types of Phobias handout:
Lesson 3
Mood Disorders
Be sure to have read pp. 532-535, 547-549
According to the text, "a mode disorder is a prolonged and disturbed state that affects almost all of a person's thoughts and feelings" (Plotnick, p. 532). There are three discussed in the text; major depression, bipolar disorder and disthymic disorder. One other mood disorder that should be added in SAD, or seasonal affective disorder. This one typically occurs during the winter months.
**Am I Depressed?**
Read, "Depression: A Letter from 'George'". As you do, consider what insight you are gaining by reading what a person that is experiencing real depression feels.
Causes of Depression and Bipolar Disorder
Please go to The World of Abnormal Psychology Scoll down the episode selection choices till you arrive at #8, "Mood Disorders". Advance the film to 27:11 - 36:30 "Causes of Depression".
Be prepared to answer the following:
Lesson 4A Activity
Personality Disorders
Read pp. 536-537.
I suppose this is where it gets interesting; most of the cases portrayed in Hollywood films come from this sort of condition.
"Scenario: Role Play"
You will have to understand the following personality disorders for this activity:
- Paranoid
- Obsessive compulsive
- Schizotypical
- Dependent
- Histrionic
- Antisocial
In preparation, imagine how individuals with these sorts of conditions might respond to the following situations:- breaking up with a boy/girl friend
- going out on a date
- finding a job that they like
- deciding which college courses to take
- making a new friend
This activity will be done in class. See the list of participants for your class on the left margin.Lesson 4B Activity
"Personality Disorders: Their Possible Jobs and Partners"
This exercise will be done in your collective intelligence group in class. As above in preparation consider what sorts of jobs and partners individuals with the above conditions would be best suited to have. Remember, these are people who can cope with their conditions given certain circumstances. Recall also that one of the issues with DSM IV is the notion of labels. The moment we label someone we have in essence slotted them into a rigid framework of expected behaviors and abilities. This is, in many cases, unfair because we are all unique in our own ways. Labeling denies the person an individual identity they deserve.
This will be done in class as a group.
Lesson 5
Psychopathology
Whenever we think of psychopathology we frequently think of the Hollywood version of a psychopath. That is, we see them as a serial killer, when really they are more likely to be part of our daily lives than we really know; somewhere around one percent of a population could be classified as psychopathic or sociopathic. That means there are as many of them in a population as there are schizophrenics. Since it is likely that you will meet a schizophrenic in your life, it is equally likely that you will meet psychopath.
Before class watch the film mentioned below. Be forewarned, there is some strong language used.
The film link below will provide you with insight into the life of a psychopath. I, Psychopath
SERIAL KILLER TRADING CARDS
Read p. 552
Part I) For this assignment you are to find out about the life, victims and method of operation of a serial killer. You choose one. Be brief to succinct in your descriptions of:
- Biography - basic information, but do focus on socio-economic background, family, experiences.
- Victim profiles. Be general. That is, most serial killers have a profile that they prefer for obvious and not so obvious reasons.
- Method of operation - information on stocking of victims, how murder may have been carried out, weapons, etc. Be selective in how much detail you provide here.
- Beginyour search with these websites:
- America's Famous Serial Killer
- Wikipedia's List of Serial Killers by Country
Part II) Compare your serial killer with two other serial killers. Using a comparison chart that you make show what their common characteristics were. You should also show what their differences were.Part I is due: TBA Part II is due: TBA.
Below is a video link to Born to Kill? Jeffrey Dahmer
TED TALKS Jim Fallon: Exploring the Mind of a Serial Killer
Lesson 6 Schizophrenia
Be sure to read pp. 538-542
To get an idea of what a schizophrenic experiences in terms of hallucinations (visual and auditory) watch the video posted here from NBC's 20/20
Class discussion: Promoting Greater Acceptance of Abnormal Behavior
You and other members of your group have been assigned the task of improving the work climate of a fast-food restaurant so that co-workers and customers will be more accepting of a newly discharged schizophrenic patient. Brainstorm what skills the former patient needs, what information the co-workers need, and how the work rules can be designed so that former patients can experience success. Each group will report the results of their brainstorming to the entire class. After you list the ideas, you will discuss why business people may not be involved in the rehabilitation of mental patients.
//**How Mad Are You?**//
The above documentary shows how three very well experienced and trained professionals in the field of psychiatry will have great difficulty figuring out which five people amongst a group of ten has a mental disorder. Those disorders are:
- an eating disorder.
- OCD
- bi-polar disorder
- depression
- social anxiety disorder
I believe what you should come away with from this experience is that labels are not always easy to attach to people, and for many more important reasons, they ought not be attached too readily. I am confident that you will appreciate - and even enjoy - this film.